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| Southeast Asia |
| Abu Sayyaf plot to seize ships discovered |
| 2006-04-01 |
| Authorities have uncovered Friday a supposed plot by the al Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf group to seize passenger ships and take hostage their passengers in Mindanao, officials said. Officials did not say how the plot was discovered, but a report by the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (Nica) in Northern Mindanao claimed the Abu Sayyaf was also planning to hostage the passengers. "We ordered tightened security in all passenger ships in Northern Mindanao. We have contingency measures, and are ready to address any situation. We cannot rule out the possibility of a terror attack after the recent bombing in Jolo," regional police chief Florante Baguio said. The report identified the leader of an 11-member Abu Sayyaf team that would carry out the hijacking as Abu Awillah, and that among the targeted were ferry vessels sailing from Manila to Mindanao. Baguio said the police have intensified their intelligence operation to track down members of the terrorist group in the region. "We are intensifying our intelligence efforts and initiate appropriate security measures to preempt terrorist attacks," he said. "I have ordered the police to ensure patrol visibility and to secure all sea and airports, including bus depots, public areas and vital government installations." Authorities have tagged the Abu Sayyaf group in the February 2004 bombing of Super Ferry 14, which killed more than 100 people in the worst maritime terrorist attack in the Philippines. The 10,192-ton ship was sailing out of Manila, with about 900 passengers and crew, when a television set filled with TNT exploded. The Abu Sayyaf owned up the bombing. Since the bombing of the Super Ferry 14, authorities have deployed secret marshals in passenger ships. The Abu Sayyaf was also believed to be behind the Tuesday bombing of a two-storey convenience store building in Jolo that left seven people wounded. Authorities had warned of impending attacks in Zamboanga City and Basilan island in Mindanao, where security forces are pursuing Abu Sayyaf members blamed for the spate of terrorism and kidnappings of foreigners in the region. The Abu Sayyaf is included in the US terror lists and Washington offered as much as $10 million bounty for the capture of its leader Khadaffy Janjalani and his lieutenants, tagged as behind the killing of two kidnapped US citizens in 2001 and 2002 in Mindanao. |
| Posted by:Dan Darling |
| #3 excellent idea |
| Posted by: bk 2006-04-01 11:07 |
| #2 Sounds liike a good time for a well-armed decoy....... |
| Posted by: CrazyFool 2006-04-01 10:35 |
| #1 what a bunch of assholes! |
| Posted by: bk 2006-04-01 09:53 |